Fixed bevel knife clamping block



May 7, 1963 H. R. PogLEYs ETAL FIXED BEVEL KNIFE CLAMPING BLOCK Filed April 30, 1962 Mapm I ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,088,145 FIXED BEVEL KNIFE CLAMPING BLOCK Herbert R. Polleys, New Haven, Conn., and George Raeburn, Arlington, Mass., assignors to Wellman Company, Medford, Mass., a corporation of Mame Filed Apr. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 190,868 2 Claims. (Cl. 12-86.6)

This invention relates to a cutting machine. More particularly, it relates to an improved knife clamping block for a sole cutting machine which has a fixed cutting angle.

The machine for which this invention is an improvement is illustrated and described in the patent to Patten No. 1,418,604.

Heretofore, it has been practice to use an adjustable angle knife clamping block for holding the knife used to cut bevel edges on various types of soles. The clamping block was pivotally secured to a swivel block by a clamping screw and held at various angles by a second screw which extended through one face of the swivel block and exerted a force on one side of the clamping block.

Although it was possible to use a block of this kind to obtain various angle settings by merely loosening the set screw and pivoting the block to a new position, it was found that many problems in accuracy were encountered. For example, the correct knife blade setting de pended entirely upon the skill and ability of a trained operator to adjust this desired angle. The procedure utilized in this setting was a clamp and try proposition and frequently, even after an accurate angle was set, the set screw loosened and gave undesirable results. Furthermore, the soles had to be test out and checked which is a very time-consuming operation, resulting in loss of machine output.

The present invention relates to a fixed angle knife clamping block and has as one of its objects a positive locking element designed to maintain the cutting knife at a constant angle regardless of the amount of force exerted thereon and regardless of the skill and ability of the machine operator.

A further object of the invention is to eliminate the need for test cuts to determine angle accuracy, since it is impossible to obtain an inaccurate angle setting with the new and improved fixed angle clamping block.

A still further object is to provide a device which is simpler to make and which requires fewer parts.

A further object is to provide a block which is easily installed and therefore easily replaced by an unskilled operator with a similar block having a different cutting angle.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing a clamping block with an element which extends from the main body thereof and is adapted to engage a portion of a supporting swivel block. The element is positioned so as to prevent rotation of said clamping block when force is exerted on the cutting blade and thereby maintains the cutting blade at a fixed angle.

Various changes and modifications in detail for the device may be made within the scope of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a rear elevational view showing a standard bifurcated swivel block in combination with the new and improved fixed angle knife clamping block;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the swivel block 3,088,145. Patented May 7, 19-63 and knife clamping block and further illustrating the position of the clamping block and the possible angle variations with different blocks.

This invention is intended to be used with a cutting machine, a portion of which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

A knife supporting mechanism is shown generally at 10 in FIG. 1 and is described in the above-mentioned patent to Patten No. 1,418,604. The mechanism is provided with downwardly extending spaced arms 11 and 11a between which is disposed a bifurcated knife clamping block 12, the latter being pivotally held in position by the screw 13 which passes through an aperture 14 in arm 11a and apertures 15 and 16 in block 12 and is threaded in arm 11 through thread aperture 17.

Block 12 is designed to have a sliding fit between the arms 11 and 11a, but a clearance 18 is provided between the crotch of arms 11 and 11a and the block 12 to provide easy installation and also to eliminate the need for closely machined tolerances.

A slot 19 extends into the center of block 12 midway between the arms 11 and 11a and substantially parallel thereto. Block 12 is bifurcated by slot 19 into arms 20 and 21. The knife block is also provided with a knife supporting groove 22 which is inclined to an angle with respect to the crotch face representative of the desired cutting angle. Various representative angles are indicated in FIG. 2 and a knife 23 is illustrated in phantom at a 45 angle. The knife 23 is adjustably held in groove 22, and by tightening the screw 13 the arms 20 and 21 are forced toward each other by the head of screw 13 abutting against arm 21 to not only hold the block 12 in position but to also force the sides of groove 22 together to firmly grip the knife. Lug 24 extends upwardly from the block 12 and protrudes outside and above the crotch of the arms 11 and 11a. Lug 24 is so positioned that when a cutting force is placed on the knife 23 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 it will provide a locking means for stopping block 12 and prevent rotation thereof. This provides a positive locking means and maintains block 12 always at the desired cutting angle or bevel.

(In the case of FIG. 2, 45.)

As will be obvious from the drawings, if it is desired to use a different bevel cut, the operator has only to remove screw 13 and the clamping block presently in the machine, select a new clamping block (each of which will be clearly marked with a representative angle), insert the new block, and reinsert the screw 13 to lock the block in place. This requires very little time or skill and provides an accurate cutting angle for the series of cuts to be performed at that desired angle.

The preferred form of this invention has been described herein, but it will be understood that changes in the details thereof may be made wtihout departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A cutting machine comprising a knife clamping block supporting means having two spaced substantially parallel arms, said arms being separated by a crotch, a bifurcated knife clamping block supported between said arms and spaced from said crotch, means for pivotally supporting said block, a knife clamping groove in said block, a knife secured in said groove, and lug means extending outwardly from said block and positioned to abut pressed against the other of said arms to initially hold a portion of said supporting means, whereby said block said block in position with said lug means in contact with may be readily installed between said arms and said said supporting means. knife may be maintained at a fixed angle during a cutting operation by the contact of said lug means with said sup- 5 References Cited In the file 0f thls Patent p g h 't t lh f l 1 h d UNITED STATES PATENTS e on ng mac me o c aim w erein sa1 means r for pivotally supporting said block is a screw which passes 1 8 i? 1 1 H s through one of said arms and stud biocic and 1s threaded 2,235,996 Hogan Mar. 25, 1941 into the other of said arms so that said block may be 10 

1. A CUTTING MACHINE COMPRISING A KNIFE CLAMPING BLOCK SUPPORTING MEANS HAVING TWO SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ARMS, SAID ARMS BEING SEPARATED BY A CROTCH, A BIFURCTATED KNIFE CLAMPING BLOCK SUPPORTED BETWEEN SAID ARMS AND SPACED FROM SAID CROTCH, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID BLOCK, A KNIFE CLAMPING GROOVE IN SAID BLOCK, A KNIFE SECURED IN SAID GROOVE, AND LUG MEANS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID BLOCK AND POSITIONED TO ABUT 